Twenty third Sunday in ordinary time – Year C
THE CROSS—A DISGRACE BECOMES A SIGN OF GLORY
Introduction
There is a famous saying of a desert father: ‘The time will come when men will go crazy. And in seeing someone who is not mad, they will pounce on him saying, 'You're crazy!’ because of his dissimilarity from them.’ Paul has been through this experience: "The Jews ask for miracles and the Greeks for a higher knowledge, while we proclaim a crucified Messiah. For the Jews, what a real scandal. And for the Greeks, what nonsense!" (1 Cor 1:22-23). Where is true wisdom? The logic of the cross is not that of the world. Man is born into and grows to assimilate the values and logic of the world around him.
When ‘the folly of the cross’ is announced to you, it is normal, and even healthy, that you are confronted with doubt and perplexity and that you pause to reflect on the decision to make. We seek life, not death; we try to avoid everything that makes us suffer. Unfortunately, the cross does not evoke the idea of salvation. Specific forms of mortification, penance and ascetical practices have done a disservice to our understanding of the Lord's invitation to take up the cross.
A Christian does not aspire for pain (even Jesus did not seek it) but love. However, when love is "lived up to the end" (Jn 13:1), it becomes a gift of life. That is why the cross, from a sign of death, becomes a symbol of life. Until the end of the 3rd century, the Christian symbols were the anchor, the fisherman, and the fish but never the cross. It is only in the 4th century, with the famous discovery of the instrument of execution of Jesus by St. Helena, that the cross becomes the symbol of victory, not on the enemies of Constantine at the Milvio Bridge but on death and all those that cause death. To choose the cross is to choose life. But it is not easy to understand.
- To internalize the message, we repeat:
"Give us, O God, the wisdom of heart."
First Reading: Wisdom 9:13-18b
Who can know God’s counsel, or who can conceive what the Lord intends? For the deliberations of mortals are timid, and unsure are our plans. For the corruptible body burdens the soul and the earthen shelter weighs down the mind that has many concerns. And scarce do we guess the things on earth, and what is within our grasp we find with difficulty; but when things are in heaven, who can search them out? Or who ever knew your counsel, except you had given wisdom and sent your holy spirit from on high? And thus were the paths of those on earth made straight. —The Word of the Lord.
Chapter 9 of the Book of Wisdom contains a beautiful prayer asking God for wisdom. The reading presents the third and final part of the prayer. The Bible's wisdom should not be identified with erudition, knowledge, and education received in school. The author of the Book of Wisdom was a brilliant and prepared man: he had studied science, arithmetic, and physics. He knew the movement of the stars, the behavior of animals, and the roots to treat diseases (Wis 7:16-21). Yet, he felt the need to ask God for wisdom because it can be given only by him.
Raising animals, cultivating the fields, learning techniques to increase production are severe and urgent problems, but not the most important. Some questions need to be addressed because from their solution depends the success or failure of life and science books do not answer these questions. Money, success, reputation, social prestige, family, and profession can all be dangerously overvalued.
To make the right choices requires ‘wisdom,’ the light that comes from God, because the reading says that following one’s impulses and insights, man does not get to find out what is good. He is not able to know the will of the Lord because his reasonings are uncertain. He is too conditioned by the corruptible body that weighs down the mind. The things of the earth are already hard to understand; how will man discover God's thoughts? (vv. 13-16).
Many baffling and indiscernible factors affect the reasoning and choices of man: his upbringing, traditions assimilated, the hidden persuaders, the propaganda of those in power, and the dominant opinion. It is not easy to decide freely and wisely to walk straight paths unless God sends his light from above and communicates his wisdom (vv. 17-18). The thoughts of men are often weak, fragile, and flimsy. We should not be surprised if the Word of God so often contradicts them.
Second Reading: Philemon 9b-17
I, Paul, an old man, and now also a prisoner for Christ Jesus, urge you on behalf of my child Onesimus, whose father I have become in my imprisonment; I amsending him, that is, my own heart, back to you. I should have liked to retain him for myself, so that he might serve me on your behalf in my imprisonment for the gospel, but I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that the good you do might not be forced but voluntary. Perhaps this is why he was away from you for a while, that you might have him back forever, no longer as a slave but more than a slave, a brother, beloved especially to me, but even more so to you, as a man and in the Lord. So if you regard me as a partner, welcome him as you would me. — The Word of the Lord.
If the Colossians preserved this letter with devotion, directed by Paul to a Christian of their community, it means that it was considered valuable despite its brevity. The episode that gave rise to the letter is moving. If the affectionate, delicate and sweet tone with which Paul drew it up (it’s enough to consider the opening words of our passage: "I, Paul, old and now also a prisoner"), one understands the reason of love of which he has always been encompassed. We come to the story.
Passing through the province of Asia, Paul met and converted to Christ a wealthy young merchant of Colossae named Philemon. He becomes an exemplary Christian. Paul calls him "our beloved co-worker"(Phlm 1) and greatly praised him: "I hear of your love … for all the holy ones" (Phlm 5); "I had great satisfaction and comfort on hearing of your charity because the hearts of the saints have been cheered by you, brother" (Phlm 7).
Philemon is married (Appia, who is cited in v. 2, is probably his wife). He has workers, domestic helpers in his service and owns a house large enough to accommodate the entire community for meetings and the weekly celebration of the Eucharist (Phlm 2). One day one of his slaves, a certain Onesimus (which means ‘useful’), steals a considerable sum from him and disappears. There are many fleeing slaves. Generally, they end up hiding in a big city, living by their wits, alms or theft, trying not to be recognized because if he is found and brought back to the owner, he could receive a death penalty.
We do not know how this man has come to meet Paul. Since the apostle was in jail at Ephesus, we can assume that the facts turned out, more or less, in this way: Onesimus, arriving in the largest metropolis of Asia, is involved in some shady deal, is discovered, and ends up in jail. There he meets the apostle.
Once the first few days of mutual distrust passed, the two tell their stories and find they know the same people at Colossae. They become friends, and Paul speaks to Onesimus about the Lord Jesus. After a few months, Onesimus asks to be baptized, and when freed, he would like to return to his master but lacks courage. The Apostle then gives him a letter of introduction to be delivered to Philemon and the whole community.
This is the origin of the short and wonderful Letter to Philemon proposed to us today. Paul invites his friend and the Christians of Colossae not to be guided by human considerations and assumes that Onesimus has been converted for opportunism. The apostle recommends that Onesimus be welcomed: as if he were his son (v. 10), as his own heart (v. 12), and as a beloved brother (v. 16). What is losing a bit of money compared to the joy of receiving a brother? (vv. 17-18). The one who makes a mistake cannot be regarded with suspicion for a lifetime.
How does the story of Onesimus end? We have no definite answer, but the signs are that he has been very well received because, a few years later, in his letter to the Colossians, Paul still talks of "Onesimus, our faithful and dear brother, who is one of yours" (Col 4:9). Fifty years later, Ignatius of Antioch recalls a certain Onesimus, bishop of Ephesus. He could be the same person.
Gospel: Luke 14:25-33
Great crowds were traveling with Jesus, and he turned and addressed them, “If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. Which of you wishing toconstruct a tower does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if there is enough for its completion? Otherwise, after laying the foundation and finding himself unable to finish the work the onlookers should laugh at him and say, ‘This one began to build but did not have the resources to finish.’ Or what king marching into battle would not first sit down and decide whether with ten thousand troops he can successfully oppose another king advancing upon him with twenty thousand troops? But if not, while he is still far away, he will send a delegation to ask for peace terms. In the same way, anyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple.” —The Gospel of the Lord.
In the religious field, statistics, projections, percentages and perceptions are helpful if they help to reflect on one's responsibility and stimulate the evaluation of ecclesial decisions in the light of the Gospel. They are opinionated and tendentious when they blame hedonism, secularism, and secularism for all the faults and failures of the ecclesial community. They can become deleterious if they interpret the increase of followers as a motive of pride, vanity, and self-complacency.
Faced with ‘large numbers,’ the ‘immense crowds’ Jesus worries instead of rejoicing. He imagines his disciples as a "little flock" (Lk 12:32), as a bit of "salt" (Mt 5:13) or as "yeast" (Mt 13:33), and as "a mustard seed" (Mt 13:31). We should not be surprised if—as is the case in today's Gospel—he is amazed to see that "large crowds were walking along with him" (v. 25). And he is seized by doubt that there was a misunderstanding, that the crowds have misunderstood his words. He turns and begins to explain what is involved in the choice to be his disciples (v. 25).
Jesus makes three tough demands that end with the same severe refrain: cannot be my disciple! (vv. 26,27,33). It almost seems that he wants to keep people away rather than attract them. The passage was often applied to the monastic vocation. It is directed to the crowds that go with him, is aimed at those who want to be Christians.
We begin with a clarification: “If you come to me” (v. 26) - says Jesus - not if one wants to come after me. The difference is subtle but significant because it reveals the intention of the evangelist. Luke intends to address the words of Jesus to the many converts of his communities which the Master attracts, feel sympathy for him and his message, but are also tempted to ‘tame’ the Gospel to make it more negotiable. The conditions that Jesus places are precise and are not negotiable.
The first: "If you come to me, unwilling to sacrifice your love for your father and mother, your spouse and children, your brothers and sisters, and indeed yourself, you cannot be my disciple." (v. 26). When he presents the requirements of the Christian vocation, Jesus always uses powerful images. He does not want anyone to get illusions. We heard him a few Sundays ago declaring to those who tried to follow him: "Foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head ... Let the dead bury their dead "(Lk 9:57-62). On another occasion, he spoke of the need to gouge the eye and cut the hand and foot than scandalize people (Mk 9:43-47). However, how is it possible to hate one’s own family and even one’s own life? A Christian loves everyone, even the enemies.
Someone solves the difficulty by arguing that, in the language of Jesus, the word to hate also means ‘to love less,’ ‘to put in second place.’ It's true, but perhaps this is not the right solution. First, love has no limits, and the more one loves, the better. God is not jealous and considers as addressed to him all the love given to people (Mt 25:40). There’s no need to be afraid to exaggerate. Besides, to reduce the powerful words of the Master to simple questions of quantity: ‘to love more–to love less’ is undermining the message.
When Jesus speaks of hate, he refers to the radical choices one needs to make when it comes to staying faithful to the Gospel. To hate is to have the courage to break even the most loved bonds if they are impediments to follow him. It is the invitation to the Christians of the communities of Luke to dissociate, to oppose in every way what is contrary to the Gospel; it could involve even disagreement with a friend, offending the sensibilities of some family members, and never compromising the Gospel. These detachments, these positions can be classified as "hate," but they are courageous gestures of genuine love.
The second condition: "Whoever does not follow me, carrying his own cross, cannot be my disciple" (v. 27). This phrase is often interpreted as a call to bear adversities, small or great sufferings of life patiently. Other times it is understood as a call to mortify, to make sacrifices. Jesus does not call for resignation but for a commitment to bear witness, even with one's own life, to one's faith. Martyrdom is an eventuality to be reckoned with because the proposal of a new life—that of the Beatitudes—is uncomfortable, goes against the current, can provoke aggressive reactions because it is considered dangerous for the good social or religious order, and can unleash violent opposition. Perhaps it is only verbal violence (insults, insults, slander, defamation, contempt). Still, it can also degenerate into discrimination, social or religious marginalization, prohibition, even physical violence, even killing, as happened to Jesus.
This is the cross that the disciple has to expect. Before introducing the third request, Jesus tells two short parables. The first is about a man who, wanting to protect the harvest from thieves and animals, decided to build a tower to put a guard in his field. He does not start work without having first calculated the amount needed to complete the job. It relates to his reputation (vv. 28-30).
The second parable tells of a king who wants to start a war. He also sits down and evaluates the forces of his army (vv. 31-32). A famous saying put it this way: ‘before you go hunting lions, grab your spear and drive it into the ground. If you can't get it to penetrate deeply, give up your project—the lions are too strong for you!
The two parables seem like an invitation to renounce the Christian vocation. However, the goal is to remind us of the seriousness and commitment that this choice entails. Whoever has heard the Gospel cannot conclude that he is already a disciple. The impulses and the initial enthusiasm are not sufficient; constancy and strength are necessary to persevere.
The third condition: "None of you may become my disciple if he doesn’t give up everything he has" (v. 33). It is not about giving a few coins as alms. One has to give up everything. It is not a joke! To make this request feasible, an unhappy solution was devised. They started to talk about institutes of perfection for religious monks and nuns, who undertake to practice what Jesus demands thoroughly. The simple Christians can instead continue owning and administering their material possessions, but they must resign themselves to being imperfect Christians. In short, the renunciation of goods would not be a precept for all; it would be a proposal to some heroes, committed to practice also the "optional" parts of the Gospel.
It is a clumsy trick. The demand for total detachment from material possessions is addressed not only to some but also to everyone who comes to Jesus. Lest any doubts arise, Luke referred to this condition laid down by the Master several times (Lk 12:33; 18:22ff).
It is not easy to forward concrete proposals. Luke presented in the Acts the community in which no one was poor because they had all pooled their property (Acts 2:44-45; 4:32-35). Indeed, the decision to follow Christ involves an entirely new relationship even against the goods of this world.